Delphi for PHP released

[chronozphere]

A friend of mine found this news item on slashdot.org and i think this might be worth a news post

"Codegear has just released version 1.0 of Delphi for PHP, a RAD development environment (running on Windows) that produces standard PHP code. It features a large set of built-in components, including ones that use AJAX for database access; and Codegear is encouraging users to develop their own components. The framework, VCL for PHP, is open source, and documentation follows the PHP model. Initial database connectivity is for MySQL and Interbase (Codegear's commercial database that spawned the open-source Firebird), but more are promised."

<strike>Although, this hasn't much to do with games, it's good news for us, pascal programmers, because we don't need to learn PHP.
However, a little bit PHP know-how can be usefull when debugging. </strike>

[savage]

Delphi for PHP just means a RAD IDE for PHP. You still need to know PHP to make anything usefull with it. The problem is that CodeGear has not rebranded Delphi yet again . Delphi is no longer the Object Pascal language, but is now the IDE technology, which just causes more confusion amongst the development community. The should have called it Turbo PHP or similar.

Anyway you can get a 1 day trail version ( yes you read that correctly 1 day ) from http://www.codegear.com/Downloads/Tr...0/Default.aspx

[pstudio]

How can you test an IDE on one single day? It would at least take an week to see if you can work with the IDE. I'm actually interested in this product, but I'm not gonna bother trying it if it's only on for day. Codegear practically forces me to spend 200 euros to see if the IDE really is something that I can use. Well that's not going to happen.
And it's a shame they call it Delphi for PHP. In my world Delphi is Object Pascal and nothing else.

[chronozphere]

Delphi for PHP just means a RAD IDE for PHP. You still need to know PHP to make anything usefull with it.

Oops ops: .... That's why the word "pascal" was never mentioned on the page. firstly i thought it was some kind of "pascal to PHP" compiler but after all, that doesn't make ANY sense. :lol:

But the post doesn't seem to be relevant anymore, because it's a non-pascal product

[Robert Kosek]

Oh, yay, a paid-for IDE for PHP. Yay. *cough* You know, like, it's going to replace things like Dev-PHP (made with Delphi). Brilliant move CodeGear. :roll: Paid Versus Free ... what makes them think they can even fight Dreamweaver's reputation, or Eclipse? Corporate suicide as far as I'm concerned. :?

[bigsofty]

Do not underestimate the power of this product, a quick look a the VCLs that are already available confirms this...

[AthenaOfDelphi]

I do think people are failing to see past the price tag... from a commercial point of view $299 for a PHP IDE with this kind of functionality isn't so bad in my opinion.

Having watched the vid demo where the guy creates a data grid with update functionality in (if you take out the talking and explanation) I would say less than 30 seconds, its an amazingly powerful tool.

If you are developing PHP commercially, its highly likely you could save the purchase price on your first project.

[Robert Kosek]

I have tried to listen to the same video, but the guy's voice gets on my nerves terribly and I had to kill the window.

Do not underestimate the power of this product, a quick look a the VCLs that are already available confirms this...

Underestimation isn't what I'm doing. I am questioning the logic of CodeGear. And in my opinion, wondering what made them decide to do this. For web applications I am not fond of the VCL, nor do I want it. Call me a notepad purist if you are so inclined.

Yes, the feature set is powerful. And while I cannot do the same things they can in a similar amount of time with just my text editor, I can ensure it is up to quality. Considering the past, I don't consider CodeGear/Borland synonymous with quality so I take everything they do with a grain of salt. Delphi I've proven, Delphi for PHP I haven't. And at this point, bleeding edge means bleeding customers.

As someone in the industry who uses PHP, yes I work as a web developer, I am not very impressed. I don't need or want VCL style designing of my forms. In fact, it puts too much focus upon forms. I develop all my code to output XHTML 1.1 Strict doctype, and I can't even be certain just how well their VCL stuff validates. Break validation and it not only looks wrong, but makes problems for screenreaders and browsers.

Frankly, I don't yet trust it.

[JernejL]

After giving it a try, i'm giving this grade 5 / 10, it comes with no demos, there is not even a slightiest trace of code insight or code completition, form editor controls take few seconds to load new controls when created, form designer controls have no size grips (WTF), php vcl help is absolutely most basic thing i ever saw, see example on listbox.items:

VCL for PHP Reference

ListBox.getItems Method
ListBox Class | ListBox Members | ListBox Methods
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Related Information
ListBox Class, ListBox Members, ListBox Methods
Group
ListBox Methods

Description
This is getItems, a member of class ListBox.

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there is not a trace of any kind on how to add a item to a listbox?

okay, i could forgive them this for their first release, i'm not a php smartass to know how to even code with objects in php properly, it looks overall as a good but overpriced product, it doesn't even generate bad html code (altrough everything is positioned with position: absolute method.)

[Robert Kosek]

Ugh. That's not good. I'm no amazing PHP programmer either, but what I know I have down cold.

"Position: Absolute" is bad except where you absolutely want it, as that can break layouts and designs. In fact, in my latest project I haven't even used it once.

I could forgive them for that and poor help, but no code insight or code completion I cannot. I can get that in ConTEXT which I use for development myself, and it's completely free as well. I can code my whole standard database unit and drop that sucker in as a template to ConTEXT, and never have to think about it again.

For $300 something that doesn't even compete with stuff I can get for free is highway robbery. Which is what I was concerned about anyway.